Beginning Teacher Program

Are You a New Science Teacher?

Are you a middle school or high school science teacher in San Mateo, Contra Costa, Marin, Alameda, or San Francisco counties in your first or second year of teaching?

Would you like science-specific assistance from the Exploratorium?

The Exploratorium Teacher Institute invites you to join teachers throughout the San Francisco Bay Area who are part of an innovative, exciting, inquiry-based, content-rich professional development program. Since 1984, the Teacher Institute has offered summer institutes, Saturday and after-school workshops, and other opportunities for secondary science and math teachers. Since 1998, the Beginning Teacher Program has supported over 400 novice teachers in their first few years in the classroom.

Key benefits of the two-year Beginning Teacher Program

Saturday workshops and summer institutes led by Exploratorium staff scientists and educators
Use of the museum’s teacher resources
Regular meetings with a small support group consisting of other beginning teachers and an experienced science teacher
Having experienced teachers assist you in your classroom
Lots of handouts, museum publications, and other classroom materials
A stipend for participating teachers at the end of each semester

Program requirements

Saturday Orientation Meeting
Four Saturday workshops in each semester
A three-week summer institute held at the Exploratorium following the first academic year
Two mentor support-group meetings per semester
Willing to have in-class assistance from experienced Exploratorium coaches

Program options